Block E Applebee's closes

Hopefully that Block E casino idea will fly, because it's clear that fewer and fewer businesses can succeed at the troubled downtown development.

Applebee's is the latest casualty, closing its doors Sunday after being in business at the skyway location since 2003. Today there are crews in there, cleaning the place out.

Yep, there's no place like the neighborhood -- someplace else.

The Block E Hooters closed its doors just before Labor Day last year. GameWorks shut down a year ago, and Borders Books and Bellanote have also been casualties. (Kieran's Irish Pub moved into the Bellanote space last spring.)

The development opened in 2002, after a $134 million investment by McCaffery Interest of Chicago and Hard Rock Cafe, and $38.5 million from taxpayers. The Hard Rock Cafe, Graves 601 hotel and 15-screen AMC movie theater remain in place.

Its struggles be damned, developer Bob Lux and his Alatus LLC bought the complex last July for about $14 million, sensing opportunity where others failed.

In February, Lux offered one possibility for moving forward: A high casino. He's already met with Gov. Mark Dayton and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak to pitch the plan. But it's all talk right now.

In an effort to justify the existance of downtown Mpls, we build stadiums / LRT / convention centers / bankrupt library that isn't open on Sundays (when employed people could actually use it). The 'downtown' isn't for the residents of Mpls, it's all about generating money to keep a failed concept alive. Going downtown means paying more: for parking / getting parking tickets / pay additional resturant & entertainment tax / extra sales tax / and all sorts of other fees.

Look at the Conservatory (torn down after 5 yrs), St Anthony Main, Riverplace, Gavidae, Block E - all failures. Downtown isn't about the residents of Mpls, has nothing to offer, and that's why it fails, and will continue to fail

i never understood why the mall of america was not built downtown i know it sounds crazy but all the department stores are gone woolworths is gone all the cafe and counter restuarants are gone, there is nothing unique as far as i am concerned the downtown area died in the early 90s

The idea that anybody would come downtown and deal with its associated hassles (traffic, parking) to visit a suburban chain restaurant was absurd to begin with. I'm surprised it lasted this long.

I would have preferred that Block E be a park, but that ship sailed. So why not create a unique destination like the Midtown Global Market? You know, someplace that city-dwellers would actually want to go to.